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Molecular Research on Pathogenesis and Treatment of Pregnancy Complications
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Molecular Research on Pathogenesis and Treatment of Pregnancy Complications

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2025 | Viewed by 2858

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Melissa Wilson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Interests: preeclampsia; genetics; maternal-fetal medicine; HELLP syndrome; developmental origins of health and disease; pregnancy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pregnancy is a complex condition in which maternal, fetal, and paternal factors all play a role in the outcome. A growing body of evidence suggests that the in utero period is extremely important for the future health of the offspring and the mother.

With this Special Issue, we aim to advance the current understanding of pregnancy complications from a molecular perspective. In doing so, we can gain information about the underlying processes that can lead to poor outcomes. Such insights may lead to the development of preventive or therapeutic treatments targeted at addressing the molecular underpinnings of the processes leading to pregnancy complications.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Molecular mechanisms associated with etiology of any pregnancy complication;
  • Placental and fetal contributions to pregnancy complications;
  • Omics and genetic association studies;
  • Molecular interactions at the maternal and fetal interface;
  • Development of novel preventative or therapeutic treatments;
  • Biomarker discovery.

Sincerely,

Dr. Melissa Wilson
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
  • preeclampsia
  • molecular biology
  • biomarker
  • prevention
  • therapeutics
  • placenta

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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14 pages, 1469 KB  
Article
Endothelial Impairment in HIV-Associated Preeclampsia: Roles of Asymmetric Dimethylarginine and Prostacyclin
by Mbuso Herald Mthembu, Samukelisiwe Sibiya, Jagidesa Moodley, Nompumelelo P. Mkhwanazi and Thajasvarie Naicker
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(15), 7451; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157451 - 1 Aug 2025
Viewed by 334
Abstract
HIV infection and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), particularly preeclampsia (PE) with severe features, are leading causes of maternal mortality worldwide. This study investigates the role of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and prostacyclin (PGI2) concentrations in endothelial impairment in normotensive pregnant versus PE women [...] Read more.
HIV infection and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), particularly preeclampsia (PE) with severe features, are leading causes of maternal mortality worldwide. This study investigates the role of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and prostacyclin (PGI2) concentrations in endothelial impairment in normotensive pregnant versus PE women within an HIV endemic setting in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The study population (n = 84) was grouped according to pregnancy type, i.e., normotensive (n = 42) and PE (n = 42), and further stratified by HIV status. Clinical factors were maternal age, weight, blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic) levels, and gestational age. Plasma concentrations of ADMA and PGI2 were measured using the enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). Differences in outcomes were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis test together with Dunn’s multiple-comparison post hoc test. The non-parametric data were presented as medians and interquartile ranges. Gravidity, gestational age, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly different across the study groups where p < 0.05 was deemed significant. Furthermore, the concentration of ADMA was significantly elevated in PE HIV-positive vs. PE HIV-negative (p = 0.0174) groups. PGI2 did not show a significant difference in PE compared to normotensive pregnancies (p = 0.8826) but was significantly different across all groups (p = 0.0212). An increase in plasma ADMA levels was observed in the preeclampsia HIV-negative group compared to the normotensive HIV-negative group. This is linked to the role played by ADMA in endothelial impairment, a characteristic of PE development. PGI2 levels were decreased in PE compared to the normotensive group regardless of HIV status. These findings draw attention to the importance of endothelial indicators in pathogenesis and possibly early prediction of PE development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research on Pathogenesis and Treatment of Pregnancy Complications)
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21 pages, 4837 KB  
Article
Potential of Pandan Root and Teak Leaf Extracts in Managing Maternal Hyperglycemia During Pregnancy: Comparative Efficacy and Mechanistic Insights
by Sasitorn Kerdsuknirund, Panida Khunkaewla, Pakanit Kupittayanant, Suthida Chanlun, Pattama Tongdee, Porntip Nimkuntod and Sajeera Kupittayanant
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(12), 5506; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26125506 - 9 Jun 2025
Viewed by 1038
Abstract
Maternal hyperglycemia during pregnancy poses significant health risks to both mother and fetus. Although gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is mainly characterized by insulin resistance, severe hyperglycemia may also result from impaired pancreatic function. This study evaluates the therapeutic potential of pandan (Pandanus [...] Read more.
Maternal hyperglycemia during pregnancy poses significant health risks to both mother and fetus. Although gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is mainly characterized by insulin resistance, severe hyperglycemia may also result from impaired pancreatic function. This study evaluates the therapeutic potential of pandan (Pandanus amaryllifolius) root and teak (Tectona grandis) leaf extracts in managing streptozotocin (STZ)-induced maternal hyperglycemia in pregnant rats, compared to metformin. Methods: Pregnant rats were administered STZ (60 mg/kg) on gestation day 5. Treatments with metformin (300 mg/kg), pandan extract (low, medium, high doses), and teak extract (low, medium, high doses) were given from gestation day 7 to 21. The key parameters included the maternal blood glucose, insulin levels, pancreatic morphology, fetal and placental outcomes, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) phytochemical profiling. GC/MS analysis identified 2,3-butanediol and propanoic acid derivatives as major compounds in pandan, while teak contained catavic acid and methyl copalate. The high-dose pandan extract significantly reduced the maternal blood glucose (p < 0.05), improved the insulin levels and pancreatic mass index, and increased the number of live fetuses, with effects comparable to metformin. The teak extract showed milder improvements. The pandan extract demonstrated dose-dependent antidiabetic potential in this STZ-induced model. Future studies should evaluate these effects in insulin-resistance-based GDM models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research on Pathogenesis and Treatment of Pregnancy Complications)
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23 pages, 5360 KB  
Article
The Protective Effects of Burdock Fructooligosaccharide on Preterm Labor Through Its Anti-Inflammatory Action
by Qunfei Ma, Ruoheng Du, Peihua Long, Kaiyi Sun, Youxia Wang, Ye Yang, Xinyu Shen and Lu Gao
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(6), 2659; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26062659 - 15 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1026
Abstract
Most pharmacotherapeutic chemicals/interventions used to manage preterm labor (PTL) often cause neonatal morbidity and maternal adverse reactions. Fructooligosaccharides, extracted from traditional Chinese medicine, can alleviate inflammation, demonstrate antiviral capabilities, and protect against antioxidant stress, implying a potential effective PTL treatment. In this study, [...] Read more.
Most pharmacotherapeutic chemicals/interventions used to manage preterm labor (PTL) often cause neonatal morbidity and maternal adverse reactions. Fructooligosaccharides, extracted from traditional Chinese medicine, can alleviate inflammation, demonstrate antiviral capabilities, and protect against antioxidant stress, implying a potential effective PTL treatment. In this study, we explored the protective effects of the purified burdock fructooligosaccharide (BFO), a Gfn-type fructose polymer, on inflammation-induced PTL. It was found that two doses of 30 mg/kg mouse BFO administration to pregnant mice at a 6 h interval can effectively ameliorate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced PTL. Drug dynamic distribution analysis revealed that BFO was rather highly enriched in myometrial tissues, could inhibit oxytocin-induced uterine smooth muscle contraction, and could bind toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) on the membrane of uterine smooth muscle cells, downregulating the expression of downstream genes, attenuating the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines in serum and the myometrium, as well as reversing the increased macrophage and neutrophil infiltration into the myometrium induced by LPS. It can also interfere with the levels of estrogen and progesterone, alleviating the occurrence of premature birth. These findings collectively suggest that BFO might serve as a promising therapeutic agent for inflammation-related preterm labor to safeguard the health of both the mother and fetus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research on Pathogenesis and Treatment of Pregnancy Complications)
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